Prejudice

Twenty years later, we are a generation on and we feel lucky to be able to build on our ancestors' hopes of raising children in a better world: freedom of religion, LGBT rights and instant global communication.

To discriminate against people on the basis of their place of birth is prejudice and once upon a time it was illegal in this country. Your party shames the memory of our heritage, shames the country it claims to represent and shames me. I hope it shames you too.

And I can only agree. The one slither of silver lining is that our police officers don't carry guns like the trigger-happy Americans. Or the Savages of this world would be trying to justify bloodshed, instead of broken windscreens. However, rest assured that the mental wounds inflicted by officers like Savage run deep.

As a sector, we've been burying our heads in the sand and hoping that the negative press and public opinion will soon subside but it's been a year and the angst and anguish doesn't seem to be getting any better. The longer there is a misconception about the work we do, the fewer funds there are being brought in and, as a result, fewer lives are being changed.

We'll be working with other agencies and associations of people with direct experience of leprosy in India, along with the Law Commission, lobbying for this to happen so that we can continue to challenge attitudes, tackle misconceptions and improve the lives of those affected by leprosy.

I am no longer feeling quite so helpless and think that there are some things I can do, at least in my own circles at work and home. I can change my own behaviour and take ownership of my own so called unconscious bias and make sure that this is not interfering with my decisions or stopping me from realising that most of the difference that I fear or perceive in others turns out to be an illusion once I allow myself to work with and get to know them.

Being able to admit that you need anti-depressants and ask for the help, let alone openly talk about it, makes you a strong person in itself and mental health needs to start being taken as seriously as physical illness so people are encouraged to feel comfortable with it.

Back door exits such as mine are also usually shrouded in the threat of an NDA (I was told that the meeting in which I was sacked was 'without prejudice', which meant I couldn't refer to it in a tribunal). This ensures that you can't tell people what actually happened, robbing you first of a job, and then of your ability to share your story.

The minds of the Irish people have become inflamed by fiery debate on the issue of Marriage Equality. In two weeks, our country takes to the polls to vote on Marriage Equality, and should it pass, could make not only Irish history, but world history, by being the first country to legally enact it by popular vote.

The call duly arrived, somewhat out of the appointed time, but we chatted, quite normally, about the sort of work he needed, timescales, budget etc. Then, suddenly, out of the blue, he asked "are you a transvestite?"

Bruce Jenner's interview where he detailed his decision to transition from male to female was inspiring, informative and most importantly brave. By choosing to come out as transgender, Bruce has managed to educate the masses about the heartbreaking process of being trans and the courage it has taken to make the leap into leading the life that he wants to lead.

Nowadays it seems difficult to go without a day where there is not some kind of disability related news item in the mainstream media, and disabled people appear to be taking over the country. Disabled people are certainly more visible, and there are certainly more people who define themselves as being disabled.

Chhimi Tenduf-La's debut novel, 'The Amazing Racist', was released worldwide in January by Hatchette India. The book follows the trials and tribulations of Eddie Trusted, an English school teacher in Colombo...

I appreciate the use of 'black' as a descriptive term in some circumstances, for example if you were trying to point out my boyfriend in a room full of Chinese people. I don't appreciate it when used in the context of explaining why people might be more afraid of him than someone who was just big.

Turing was posthumously pardoned and while he was a hero, there are thousands of casualties of that terrible law, thousands of men who are not heroes, but who cannot be overlooked for justice simply for seeking out the relationships to which all people are entitled... With this petition, I'm happy to play a small part in a campaign that can materially improve the lives of men convicted under discriminatory laws. The British government did the right thing by pardoning Turing, and now it's time for another positive step forward.

Racism, the point where power meets prejudice, is something we shy away from discussing in Britain, but it is a lived reality for millions on a day-to-day basis, a one-way stream of continued offense on varying scales.

Many of us have probably wondered, "Are we next?" This is a scary prospect. For Londoners it's also bound to bring up painful memories of the 07/07 bombings. These fears are then fuelled by sensationalist media coverage. If we're not mindful, we can end up feeling paralysed by fear and despair.

Anne wrote, "How wonderful it is that no-one need wait, but can start right now to
gradually change the world". Anne Frank, as we mark seven decades since your agonised protracted death at Nazi hands, please know that you really did help to change the world.

It's too easy to judge prematurely. Often we don't bother to find out why others do what they do. Judge them unfavorably and we get irritated, angry, annoyed; judge them favorably and we distort the reality to fit with our preference.

Life is beautiful, and so during this festive period, I'm going to be eating, drinking, spending time with loved ones, planning more protests ... and hoping that Santa comes down the chimney with plenty of menorahs and sacks of bulls**t.

By the time a child reaches secondary school, they have begun to learn the rules that will help them to survive their time at school. Fitting in with everyone else is encouraged and the child is advised not to give people a reason to pick on them. If you are fat, lose weight; if you are shy, be more outgoing; if you are loud, be quieter...